Transcript GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2012 - Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2012
Summary of Key Decisions
Moderator Designate
• The Rev Andrew Norton was announced as
the Moderator-designate. More information
about Andrew and his background is available
on the church website.
Pacific Islands Synod
• General Assembly agreed to grant the Pacific
Islands Synod presbytery status. The Synod
now has status and powers equivalent to a
presbytery or Te Aka Puaho.
New Formula
• Assembly agreed to the adoption of a new
formula, by which ministers, elders and office
bearers make themselves accountable to the
Church.
New Subordinate Standard
• Assembly agreed to the adoption of a new
formula, by which ministers, elders and office
bearers make themselves accountable to the
Church.
New Subordinate Standard
• Assembly agreed to adopt Kupu Whakapono
and its Commentary as a Subordinate
Standard of the Church along with its historic
reformed standards.
General Assembly Meeting and
Assembly Week
• Assembly agreed to retain a biennial meeting
cycle for General Assembly, and declined to
uphold a proposal to meet annually.
Assembly also agreed to select commissioners
based on membership numbers, rather than
by congregation for future general assemblies.
It is anticipated that the changes will be in
place for GA 2016.
Role of the Moderator of General
Assembly
• Assembly asked that a revised report about
proposed changes to the role of General
Assembly Moderator, which takes into account
feedback from Assembly, be sent to presbyteries,
parishes, Te Aka Puaho, the Pacific Island Synod
and Asian Council for consideration. With this
report will also be a report inviting the church
courts to consider conferring the Moderator of Te
Aka Puaho with equivalent status as the
Moderator of General Assembly.
Declaration on vulnerable children
• Assembly agreed to train church leaders to
identify need, actively support those who
work with children and to advocate for
vulnerable children as a church. It also agreed
to raise awareness in congregations and
communities of the plight and needs of
children in our midst.
New Regulations for Co-operating
Ventures
• Following a major review, regulations
governing co-operating ventures have been
re-written, and General Assembly approved
the updated procedures.
Sexuality and Leadership
• After hearing several proposals, Assembly
2012 affirmed the decisions of previous
General Assemblies, that those in
relationships outside a faithful marriage
between a man and woman, were
inappropriate persons to be considered as
church leaders.
Postal Voting
• Assembly decided to retain the existing
methods of voting on resolutions being
considered at congregational meetings, and
that postal voting would not be allowed.
Living Wage Endorsed
• Assembly agreed to affirm and support the
Living Wage campaign. In doing so, Assembly
encouraged congregations, church schools
and related social service agencies to examine
their employee remuneration packages and
work towards a living wage.
Mission Enterprise Fund
• Assembly asked that proposed supplementary
provisions that would enable the release of 10
percent of net proceeds from building sales to
a Mission Enterprise Fund, be sent to
presbyteries and congregations for discussion.
Asian Council
• Council of Assembly was asked by Assembly to
initiate a discussion about the implications of
declaring the Presbyterian Church to be a
cross-cultural church within the context of our
bi-cultural church, with a view to adopting a
short statement on the nature and priorities
of the church as an ethnically diverse
community in and for its mission and ministry.
Climate Change
• Assembly agreed to advocate for climate
change refugees in the Pacific, by strongly
encouraging the Aotearoa New Zealand
government to establish relocation strategies
with the governments of those Pacific island
nations whose national island habitats were
no longer tenable due to the effects of climate
change.
Presbytery Reform
• Council of Assembly was asked to establish a
process whereby it consults with presbyteries as
it considers matters that will be bought to
General Assembly, and that this process be
implemented in time for GA 2014.
• Assembly also asked that there be annual
meetings between presbytery representatives,
the Moderator, Council of Assembly and the
Assembly service team, to facilitate an aligned
vision and sharing of resources. These gatherings
will be funded from the Assembly budget.
Book of Order changes
• A raft of changes to Book of Order regulations
were agreed by Assembly. Some of the key
changes are summarised here:
– New provisions provide the right of appeal against
presbytery decisions to form or dissolve
congregations.
– New regulations allow now up to 40 percent of a
church council to be non-ordained persons.
– Changes were made to the disciplinary regulations
in Chapter 15.
Land and Mission
• Assembly endorsed a Te Aka Puaho proposal
that asked the Church consider engaging in
conversation with local Maori about returning
unwanted land to local iwi and hapu.
Same-sex Marriage
• Assembly upheld the historic Christian
understanding that marriage as a loving, faithful
union between a man and woman. The Church
will be asking the government not to pass the
proposed amendments to the Marriage Act,
currently being considered by parliament.
• Assembly agreed that Presbyterian ministers and
lay celebrants will continue to retain the right to
administer marriage ceremonies between
couples whom the ministers deem as
appropriate.
http://presbyterian.org.nz/about-us/generalassembly/general-assembly-2012